“Carlos Alcaraz’s brain is still broken from losing gold medal” – Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs on Spaniard’s Cincinnati Open racket smash
Carlos Alcaraz’s brain is still broken from losing gold medal” – Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs on Spaniard’s Cincinnati Open racket smash
Carlos Alcaraz, one of tennis’s most promising young stars, recently made headlines for an intense moment at the Cincinnati Open when he smashed his racket in frustration. This outburst has drawn attention from various corners of the tennis world, including Rennae Stubbs, the former coach of Serena Williams. Stubbs, known for her candid commentary, humorously suggested that Alcaraz’s reaction might be tied to his earlier disappointment in missing out on the Olympic gold medal.
According to Stubbs, that rare instance of on-court behavior from the Spaniard stemmed from his loss to Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Carlos Alcaraz had an impressive debut at the Olympics this year, securing a silver medal in men’s singles and advancing to the men’s doubles quarterfinals with Rafael Nadal. However, the loss in the gold medal match to Novak Djokovic on August 4 left him devastated. Djokovic narrowly defeated Alcaraz in a hard-fought battle, winning 7-6(3), 7-6(2). The emotional toll of this defeat has been evident in Alcaraz’s subsequent performances, including his recent outburst at the Cincinnati Open.
Alcaraz’s journey to the top has been meteoric, and with that rise has come the pressure to perform consistently at the highest levels. The Spaniard, who has been lauded for his mental toughness and on-court composure, displayed a rare moment of vulnerability during the Cincinnati Open. The frustration boiled over during a challenging match, leading to the racket-smashing when he lost a point from 37 year old Gael Monfils incident that has since gone viral.
Stubbs’ observation that Alcaraz’s “brain is still broken” from the gold medal loss touches on a broader narrative within sports psychology. High-pressure losses, particularly on the global stage like the Olympics, can have lingering effects on athletes, even those as mentally resilient as Alcaraz. The loss of a gold medal represents more than just a missed opportunity; it’s a moment that can haunt athletes, affecting their performance in subsequent competitions.
After his heartbreaking loss to Novak Djokovic in the Olympic gold medal match, Carlos Alcaraz was visibly emotional, breaking down in tears, underscoring how much the defeat affected him. Fast forward to the Cincinnati Open, where Alcaraz faced Gael Monfils in the second round on August 15. In a surprising turn of events, the former World No. 1 suffered consecutive defeats to 37-year-old opponents, as Monfils overcame him in a tight match, winning 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. This marked another challenging moment in Alcaraz’s recent journey.
Rennae Stubbs, on her podcast, described Carlos Alcaraz’s outburst at the Cincinnati Open as an “anomaly,” noting how rare such behavior is for the young Spaniard. Stubbs, a former WTA World No. 1 in doubles, also highlighted Alcaraz’s positive reputation among his peers on the ATP Tour, where he, alongside Frances Tiafoe, is considered one of the happiest and most well-liked players in the locker room. This contrast between his usual demeanor and the incident underscores the pressure he faces in top-tier competition.
“This was such an anomaly to see Carlos Alcaraz lose his mind like that. Our sweet little baby Carlitos, who is literally the nicest guy. I did a Q&A with all the players at Cincinnati and the question I asked every single guy was, ‘Who’s the happiest and most-liked person in the locker room?’, and every single one of them either said Frances Tiafoe or Carlos Alcaraz,” Stubbs said (at 27:24).
Rennae Stubbs, in her podcast, pointed out that Carlos Alcaraz has not fully recovered from his defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics, which she believes contributed to his emotional outburst and racket smash in Cincinnati. Stubbs suggested that physical exhaustion also played a role in Alcaraz’s behavior during the ATP Masters 1000 event. Despite the incident, Alcaraz later apologized for his actions, acknowledging the stress and fatigue he was experiencing at the time.
“His brain is still broken from losing the gold medal. I think he’s played a lot of tennis and he’s got a lot of pressure on his shoulders now. I think he’s tired now. Anyone who came off of playing at the Olympics and was playing in Cincinnati was just, mentally and physically drained,” Stubbs added.
“Novak Djokovic got robbed” – Fans outraged by Jannik Sinner not retroactively losing World No. 1 spot despite point penalty after failed drug tests
Novak Djokovic Robbed: Fans Outraged Over Jannik Sinner’s World No. 1 Status Amid Point Penalty Controversy
Recent controversy has engulfed the tennis world following Jannik Sinner’s recent failed drug tests and the subsequent handling of his World No. 1 ranking. Fans and analysts alike are expressing outrage over the decision not to retroactively strip Sinner of his top spot, a move they argue would have been fair given the circumstances.
Jannik Sinner will keep his No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings despite a 400-point penalty, which will not be applied retroactively. This decision has allowed Sinner to remain ahead of Novak Djokovic in the rankings, causing significant reactions from Djokovic’s fans. Many feel that Sinner should have lost his top position, leading to a heated debate within the tennis community about the fairness of ranking decisions and the implications for the sport’s integrity.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) found that the amount of steroid in Jannik Sinner’s system was minimal and did not enhance his performance. As a result, the reigning Australian Open champion was cleared of any wrongdoing and permitted to continue competing.
However, Sinner was later penalized with a $325,000 fine and lost 400 ranking points, which he had earned for reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells. Despite this, his No. 1 ranking was not affected retroactively.
According to journalist Ben Rothenberg, Jannik Sinner’s 400 ranking points will not be deducted retroactively but will be removed in this week’s rankings instead. Last week, Sinner had 8,770 points, and a retroactive deduction would have lowered him to 8,370 points, putting Novak Djokovic at No. 1 with 8,460 points. However, with the points being deducted this week, Djokovic, now with 7,460 points, will still not surpass Sinner, who will remain ahead with 8,960 points after the deduction.
Update—I got an answer from ATP:
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) August 21, 2024
Sinner’s 400 ranking points from Indian Wells that were invalidated will *NOT* be retroactively subtracted.
Last week will therefore still be counted as Jannik Sinner’s 10th at #1, not Novak Djokovic’s 429th.
Can’t say I think that’s right. https://t.co/euVGqlW0GE pic.twitter.com/D2MYF6dYzs
This development has left many Novak Djokovic fans feeling discontented, with some expressing their frustration on social media, particularly regarding the ATP’s decision. One fan remarked,
Novak got robbed so many times already, this one week can stay on Jannik’s conscience.
— Sosa (@Sosa246810) August 21, 2024
“Novak has been robbed so many times already; this one week can rest on Jannik’s conscience.”
The sentiment reflects a broader dissatisfaction among Djokovic’s supporters, who believe that the handling of Sinner’s ranking points has unfairly impacted their favorite player’s standing.
So Djokovic is denied a week at No.1 because Jannik Sinner’s 400 points from Indian Wells are being removed only after the ruling and are not struck from the record altogether. Make it make sense ATP,” another said.
“My goat got rubbed again I’m out,” another fan added.
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
“Only Laver Cup gets retroactive points @atptour corrupt af,” one fan commented.
“wow 😭😭😭 this is fu*ked up like how does that even make any sense,” a fan said .
“how does that make sense? he cheated so they should be dropped from day 1 and not months later,” another said.
